How does Core Ultra 5 245 handle gaming, and how large is the gap versus cheaper models?

  14 cores won't translate into proportionally higher frame rates. At 1080p high-refresh, single-core speed and memory matter most; at 1440p/4K it's basically all about the GPU.

  When comparing against cheaper chips, fix the GPU, memory, and power settings so the difference is actually measurable. Arrow Lake had a rough 1080p launch, but later BIOS updates fixed much of it, so check the board's BIOS revision before buying.